System and method for executing cash payments via a computer network

ABSTRACT

The invention presented comprises a system and method for executing a cash payment via a computer network. A payor computing device communicates over a computer network with payee computing devices via a P2P server. The P2P server is operative to receive a payment request from the payor computing device and process the payment by debiting a financial instrument specified by a payor utilizing the payor computing device. The payment request is transmitted from the P2P server to a cash payment server operative to receive the payment request and translate the request into the native format of an ATM control server, the native format of the P2P server and ATM control server not being interoperable. The ATM control server is operative to generate a PIN code, which is transmitted along with the received payment instructions to an ATM. The ATM receives the payment instructions and dispenses the payment upon receipt of the PIN code. Receipt data is also generated by the ATM control server, translated into the native format of the P2P server by the cash payment server, and delivered to the payor and payee via the P2P sever.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of, and claims priority to U.S. Ser.No. 12/696,976 entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR EXECUTING CASH PAYMENTSVIA A COMPUTER NETWORK,” filed on Jan. 29, 2010. The '976 applicationcontinuation of, and claims priority to, U.S. Pat. No. 7,680,738 issuedon Mar. 16, 2010 (aka U.S. Ser. No. 09/982,350 entitled “SYSTEM ANDMETHOD FOR EXECUTING CASH PAYMENTS VIA A COMPUTER NETWORK,” filed onOct. 16, 2001). The '738 patent claims priority to U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application Ser. No. 60/252,641, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FORCASH PAYMENTS OVER THE INTERNET VIA A CREDIT OR DEBIT INSTRUMENT,” filedon Nov. 22, 2000. All of which are incorporated by reference herein intheir entirety.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialwhich is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent documentor the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and TrademarkOffice patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrightrights whatsoever.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention disclosed herein relates generally to systems and methodsfor transmitting instructions for cash payments. More particularly, thepresent invention relates to a system and method used to interface acomputer system with an ATM system so that payment instructions may befreely routed between the disparate networks and protocols of the twosystems.

Using current technology, it is possible to transmit a payment to an ATMor similar financial terminal or kiosk for receipt only by its intendedrecipient. An example of this type of technology is the Z-CASH™ systemdeveloped by WESTERN UNION™. Terminals equipped with software to supportthe Z-Cash standard or format are capable of electronic money transfersto and from any equipped ATM or Western Union money transfer outlet.

The Z-Cash system allows a consumer to electronically send money usingany participating ATM by simply swiping an ATM card and selecting themoney transfer option presented on the terminal's display device. Theuser is prompted to select a personalized code and the desired dollaramount to transfer. The sender relays the confirmation number and thepersonalized code to the intended recipient who can retrieve the fundsfrom any participating ATM. No bankcard is required to retrieve thefunds, just the confirmation number and personalization code, whichprovides a means for securing the transaction. An example of cardlesstransaction technology is presented in U.S. Pat. No. 6,045,039, entitled“Cardless Automated Teller Transactions”, which is hereby incorporatedby reference in its entirety.

FIG. 1 presents an illustration of the above-described system. A personwishing to make a payment 10, e.g., a payor, has two methods throughwhich to make the payment: through the use of an ATM or similar terminal20 or through interacting with a live agent 40 over a two waycommunication device such as a telephone. The ATM terminal 20 executesterminal software that allows the user to have a selected accountdebited by the payor's financial institution or instrument 25 andtransmit the payment request, including confirmation number andpersonalization code, to an ATM terminal control server 50, e.g., aWestern Union Z-Cash compliant server operative to control one or moreATM terminals 20, 80.

The terminal 20 forwards the payment request to the ATM control server50, which is received and processed by ATM control software 60. The ATMcontrol software 60 processes the payment request and transmits it to adestination terminal 80. The terminal software 90 receives and storesthe request. The payor 10 coveys the confirmation number andpersonalization code to the intended recipient or payee 70. Once inpossession of this information, the payee 70 inputs the confirmationnumber and personalization code into the terminal 80 where it isverified against the data received by the terminal software 90 from theATM control server 50. If the data is verified, the currency isdispensed and the transaction concluded.

One limitation of a system such as this is its lack of support forsystems not equipped to communicate according to the native format ofthe ATM system, e.g., the Z-Cash standard. There is thus a need for asystem and method that allows users of computer systems, for example,P2P systems, to execute payments to other users that may be received bythe intended recipient at an ATM or other similar financial terminal orkiosk communicating according to a native format that is different fromthat used by the computer system.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention disclosed herein is a system and method for executing acash payment from a computer network. The system disclosed hereincomprises a payor computing device communicating over a computer networkwith payee computing devices via a P2P server. The P2P server isoperative to receive a payment request from the payor computing deviceand process the payment by debiting a financial instrument specified bya payor utilizing the payor computing device. The payment request istransmitted in the native format of the P2P server to a cash paymentserver executing request translation software operative to receive thepayment request and translate the request into the native format of anATM control server; the native format of the P2P server and ATM controlserver not being interoperable. The ATM control server is operative togenerate a PIN code, which is transmitted along with the receivedpayment instructions to an ATM. The ATM receives the paymentinstructions and dispenses the payment upon receipt of the PIN code.

The system utilizes request translation software that is capable oftranslating a payment request received in the native format of the P2Pserver into multiple native formats for a plurality of disparate ATMcontrol servers, thereby creating a bridge between the P2P system and aplurality of disparate ATM systems. Optionally, one of the native ATMcontrol server formats supported by the request translation software isthe Z-Cash format.

The ATM receives the payment instructions from the ATM control sever andgenerates and transmits a response indicating that the instructions havebeen received. The cash payment server executes request translationsoftware operative to receive a response from the ATM control serverthat the ATM has received the payment instructions. It is furtheroperative to convert or translate and transmit the response into thenative format utilized by the computer system. The response, transmittedacross the computer network to the payee computing device, may containthe PIN code used to access the funds. Alternatively, the PIN code istransmitted to the payor computing device and communicated to the payeevia any transmission method known to those skilled in the art, forexample, via telephone or email. The payee supplies the PIN code to theATM containing the payment instructions, causing the currency to bedispensed.

The method disclosed herein comprises transmitting a payment requestfrom a payor computing device over the computer network to a P2P server,which receives and processes the payment request by debiting a financialinstrument specified by the user of the payor computing device. Thepayor computing device and the P2P server communicate according to anative format of the P2P server. The method further comprises executingrequest translation software on a cash payment server for receiving thepayment request and translating the request into a native format of anATM control server, the ATM control server operative to generate andtransmit payment instructions and a PIN code to a designated ATMterminal. The method also includes receiving the payment instructions atan ATM to dispense the payment upon receipt of the PIN code. The ATMcontrol sever may transmit the payment instructions from the ATM controlserver to the ATM.

Other features of the method of operation include translating thepayment request into the native format of one of multiple native formatsfor a plurality of disparate ATM control servers. Optionally, one of themultiple native formats included in the translating step is the Z-Cashformat.

The method further includes generating a response for transmission atthe ATM that the payment instructions have been received. The responsethat the payment instructions have been received is received at the ATMcontrol server from the ATM, and converted into a format that is nativeto the P2P server, optionally by the request translation software. Theconverted response is transmitted to the P2P server. The P2P server iscapable of transmitting the response to a payee computing device, whichoptionally includes the PIN code required to access the payment.Alternatively, the PIN code is transmitted to the payor computing deviceand communicated to the payee via any transmission method known to thoseskilled in the art, for example, via telephone or email. The ATMdispenses the amount specified by the payment instructions in responseto the payee supplying the PIN code.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is illustrated in the figures of the accompanying drawingswhich are meant to be exemplary and not limiting, in which likereferences are intended to refer to like or corresponding parts, and inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram presenting a current system for executing cashpayments using an ATM system;

FIG. 1 a is a high-level block diagram presenting an overview of theinteraction of hardware components according to one embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram presenting a detailed view of the interactionof hardware and software components according to one embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram presenting a detailed view of the interactionof the hardware and software components according to an alternativeembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram presenting a high-level overview of the processof utilizing the invention to transmit a cash payment over a computernetwork according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram presenting a detailed view of the process ofutilizing the invention to execute a cash payment over a computernetwork according to one embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram presenting a continuation of the detailed viewof the process of utilizing the invention to execute a cash payment overa computer network according to one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present invention are now described with reference tothe drawings in FIGS. 1 a through 6. With reference to FIG. 1 a, ahigh-level configuration of a system in accordance with the presentinvention includes various hardware and software components, including apayor device 102, a payee device 106, a P2P server 108, a cash paymentserver 118, an Automated Teller Machine (“ATM”) control server 114, andone or more ATMs 112. Payor and payee devices, 102 and 106 respectively,may be any general purpose computing devices with the capacity to accessa data network 104 including, but not limited to, personal computers,wireless computing devices, and personal digital assistants. The datanetwork 104 used to facilitate communication between the hardware andsoftware components of the invention may be any type of network capableof carrying data, such as the Internet, Intranets, LANs, WANs, fixedwireless networks, etc. Furthermore, the data network may be comprisedof a plurality of disparate networks and network types.

Payor 102 and payee 106 devices communicate with a P2P server 108 viathe network 104. Using the P2P system under the control of the P2Pserver 108, a variety of services can be offered, for example, thebuying and selling of any number of goods and services. In addition tofacilitating these transactions, the P2P server 108 is operative tocontrol the transfer of funds in satisfaction of these transactions.Using the payor device 102, the payor initiates a payment transactionwith the payee device 106 via the P2P server 108. The payor provides thefinancial parameters of the transaction, e.g., the financial instrumentused in satisfaction of the transaction, the amount of the transaction,validation information uniquely and securely identifying the payor, etc.The P2P server can utilize any number of financial instruments,including, but not limited to, credit and debit cards, checking andsavings accounts, money market accounts, smart cards, and stored valuecards.

The financial parameters of the transaction are transmitted by the payordevice 102 in the native data format of the P2P server 108. Uponreceipt, the financial parameters are parsed and the payor's financialinstitution 110 validates the transaction. According to one embodiment,the financial institution uses a network that is distinct from thenetwork carrying communications between the payor device 102 and the P2Pserver 108, although the payor financial institution 110 could alsocommunicate with the P2P server 108 over a common network. Notificationregarding the approval or denial of the transaction is returned to theP2P server 108, which generates payment request that is transmitted to acash payment server 118.

The payment request is received by the cash payment server 118 in thenative data format of the P2P sever 108. The cash payment server 118transforms the received payment request into a payment request that isproperly formatted for action by an ATM control sever 114 andtransmitted across an ATM network 104 a. The ATM control sever 114 isoperative to control one or more remotely located ATM terminals 112.According to one embodiment of the invention, the ATM network requirescommunications formatted according to the Z-Cash standard. The ATMcontrol server 114 also generates a PIN code to access the payment andpayment instructions for the ATM.

The payment instructions are transmitted to an ATM 112 specified by thepayor 102 and notification returned stating that the transfer wassuccessful. The ATM control server 114 generates a response or receiptindicating that 1) the payment instructions have been successfullytransmitted to and received by the ATM 112, and 2) the PIN codeassociated with the transaction. Alternatively, additional informationcan be included in the response, for example, the payor name, areceiving institution identifier, the transaction amount, anytransaction fees levied by either the P2P server 108 or the ATM controlserver 114, the transaction type, and any other transaction relatedinformation.

The response, in the native data format of the ATM control server 114,is transmitted across the network 104 a, received by the cash paymentserver 118 and translated into the native data format of the P2P server108. The translated receipt is received and parsed by the P2P server108. Information in the receipt relevant to the payee, e.g., PIN code,ATM location, and amount of payment, are transmitted from the P2Pserver, via the network 104, to the payee device 106. Information in thereceipt relevant to the payor is transmitted to the payor device 102.The payee uses the information contained in the receipt to interfacewith the designated ATM 112 to retrieve the cash payment. Alternatively,the PIN code is transmitted to the payor, who communicates it to thepayee according to methods well known to those skilled in the art, e.g.,telephone or e-mail.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram presenting a detailed view of the hardware andsoftware components previously presented. The P2P server 108 stores andexecutes P2P server software 206. The P2P server software 206 is used tobring parties together, e.g., a payor and payee utilizing a payor device102 and payee device 106, to conduct transactions. For example, the P2Pserver software 206 may facilitate matching buyers and sellers ofantique goods. Alternatively, the P2P system is configured to onlyhandle payment transactions in conjunction with a sale or auctionsystem. Indeed, the P2P server software 206 is capable of beingconfigured to facilitate the buying and selling of virtually any type ofgood or service. The P2P server software 206 is further operative tohandle the transfer of funds in satisfaction of the sale of a good orservice. The software 206 debits a financial instrument specified by thepayor and transfers the funds to the payee. The transfer of fundseffected by the software 206 includes, but is not limited to, debiting asmart card, stored value card, checking account, savings account, orcash payment.

In the P2P system 200, a buyer or payor utilizes a P2P client module 202executing on the payor device 102 to interface with the P2P serversoftware 206 executing on the P2P server 108. In this manner, the payor,through use of the payor device 102 and P2P client module 202, iscapable of finding other parties selling desired goods and services. Aseller or payee also utilizes a P2P client module 202 executing on thepayee device 106 to interface with the P2P server software 206 executingon the P2P server 108. In this manner, the payee, through the use of thepayee device 106 and P2P client module 202, is capable of presentinggoods or services that he or she is offering for sale.

The P2P client module 202 may be a stand-alone executable application, acomponent integrated into the operating system or other system softwareon the payor device, or a software component utilized by anotherexecutable application. The payor uses the P2P client module 202 to setup a cash payment that is transmitted to the P2P server software 206.The P2P server validates the transaction with the payor's financialinstitution (FIG. 1, reference 110) and transmits the payment request tothe cash payment server 118. The payment request may include, forexample, the specific id or address of an ATM control server, atransaction type code, the transaction amount, any transaction fees, thename or other unique identifier of the recipient, and a data codeindicating the terminal type that is the ultimate destination for thepayment request, e.g., a Z-Cash terminal. According to some embodiments,the P2P server receives the request and notifies the payee, who isprovided with the option to choose the location of the destination ATMterminal.

The cash payment server 118 acts as a bridge or gateway between the P2Psystem 200 and an ATM system 201. The request translation software 209uses the P2P interface 210, which is capable of interpreting the paymentrequest and other data in the native format of the P2P system 200. Therequest translation software 209 is operative to translate a paymentrequest received over the P2P interface 210 in the native format of theP2P system 200 into a payment request according to the native format ofthe ATM system 201. The translated payment request is passed to an ATMcontrol interface 212, which is capable of interpreting the paymentrequest and other data in the native format of the ATM system 201. TheATM control interface 212 is used to transmit the translated paymentrequest to an ATM control server 114.

The ATM control server 114 receives the payment request from the requesttranslation software's 209 ATM control interface 212, which is processedby the ATM control server software 216. The ATM control server software216 is operative to instruct individual ATM terminals as to thedispensing of currency and the parameters therefor. The ATM controlsoftware 216 generates a PIN code for the transaction. The ATM controlsoftware 216 also selects an ATM terminal 112 to dispense the currencyand passes it the PIN code, a transaction type code, the transactionamount, any transaction fees, and a unique identifier for the payee.Alternatively, an ATM terminal 112 selected to dispense the currency maybe defined by the payor through the P2P client module 202 and includedin the payment request transmitted from the P2P system 200 to the ATMsystem 201. Optionally, the PIN code or other parts of the paymentrequest passed to or from the ATM 112 may be encrypted using tools wellknown to those skilled in the art. Upon conclusion of the transmission,the ATM 112 responds to the ATM control sever 114 either indicating thatthe data was successfully received or that data items need to beretransmitted.

The ATM control server 114 generates a response or receipt indicatingthat the transaction was successfully delivered to the ATM 112 and thePIN code required to access the currency. This receipt is transmitted tothe cash payment server 118 in the native format of the ATM system 201.The request translation software 209 and its associated interfaces, 210and 212, translate the receipt into the native format of the P2P system200 and transmit it to the P2P server 108.

Because the receipt contains information relevant to both the payor andthe payee, the P2P server software 206 parses the receipt and generatesindividual messages for the payor and payee devices, 102 and 106respectively. For example, the message generated for transmission to thepayor device comprises, but is not limited to, the transaction type, thetransaction amount, any transaction fees assessed, and the payoridentifier. The P2P server may also utilize debit information returnedfrom the payor's financial institution (FIG. 1, reference 110), forexample, the identifier for the account or instrument that was used tofund the transaction. Messages generated and transmitted to the payeedevice 106 may include the location or location code for the ATMterminal 112, the transaction amount, and the PIN code used to accessthe currency. The payee is free to access the identified ATM terminal112, enter the PIN code, and retrieve the currency in satisfaction ofthe transaction.

According to alternative embodiments of the system, a payor generates acash payment request using a P2P client module 202 executing on a payorcomputing device 102. As with other embodiments, the P2P server software206 receives the request and validates the transaction with the payor'sfinancial institution. The P2P server software 206 transmits a messageto the payee computing device indicating that a payment request has beenreceived. The payee is provided an opportunity to determine the PIN codeand location of the ATM terminal that is the destination of the cashpayment. The destination ATM selected by the payee is added to thepayment request and transmitted to the destination ATM terminal aspreviously described.

According to other embodiments, the cash payment generated by the payoris available for retrieval from any authorized ATM location. The paymentrequest is generated by the payor, validated by the P2P server andtranslated by the request translation software at the cash paymentserver. The translated request is forwarded and stored by the ATMcontrol server. The payee travels to any authorized ATM location andaccesses the ATM providing the PIN code and any other requiredvalidation information. The ATM terminal authenticates the providedinformation with the payment information stored at the ATM controlserver. Where the information is validated, the payment request istransmitted to the ATM terminal, which instructs the terminal todispense the indicated amount. In this manner, the payee is free to useany convenient authorized ATM terminal to collect the cash payment.

FIG. 3 presents a block diagram that builds on the system presented inFIG. 2 by adding support for multiple ATM systems, 201 and 300. At thetime the payor makes a payment request, he or she is optionallypermitted to indicate the particular ATM terminal, 112 and 308, used todispense the payment. This terminal data is included in the paymentrequest along with, as indicated above, a data code indicating theterminal type, e.g., ATM system that is the ultimate destination for thepayment request.

The payment request is transmitted to the cash payment server 118, whereit is passed to the request translation software 209 via its P2Pinterface 210 for translation. Because this is a heterogeneous computingenvironment comprising multiple ATM control server types, 114 and 304,each processing payment requests according to a disparate format, theproper ATM control interface, 212 and 302, is selected according to theterminal type data code contained in the payment request. The requesttranslation software 209 processes the terminal type data block of thepayment request and determines which interface is a match. Thisprocessing may be executed in a parallel or serial manner. Where a matchis found, the interface translates the message into the native format ofthe ATM system it is programmed for. Once the appropriate interface isdetermined, processing is completed as previously described.

FIG. 4 presents a high-level flow diagram presenting a method ofoperating embodiments of the system presented in FIGS. 1 a through 3. Abuyer or payor accesses a P2P system through the use of P2P clientsoftware and generates an account with the system, step 402. The accountregistration procedure includes, but is not limited to, collectingpersonal information regarding the payor and the funds source used tomake payments for purchases. The funds source may be, for example, asmart card, a stored value card, a checking or savings account, creditcard, or debit card.

Using the P2P system, the payor selects goods and services for purchaseand sets up a payment, step 404. The P2P system uses the funds sourceinformation provided by the payor at the time of registration, step 402,to debit the amount of the transaction from the funds source, step 406.The payment request is then translated from the native format of the P2Psystem into the native format of the ATM system, step 407. The ATMsystem generates a PIN code and notification message for eventualtransmission to the payee, step 408. The ATM system also transmits apayment instruction and PIN code to an ATM, step 410, enabling the ATMto dispense the amount of currency contained in the payment instructionwhen the associated PIN is entered into the ATM.

The notification and PIN code generated in step 408 are translated fromthe native format of the ATM system into the native format of the P2Psystem, step 412. The P2P system delivers the notification and PIN codeto the payee device, step 414, instructing the payee as to the locationof the ATM instructed to dispense the currency for payment. The payeetravels to the location of the ATM and supplies the received PIN code,step 416, which causes the ATM to dispense the funds.

FIG. 5 is a detailed flow diagram of the method of operation presentedin FIG. 4. Using a computing device as previously described, the payorsubmits a request for payment via the P2P system, step 502. The requestis received by the P2P server and processed by the P2P server software,step 504. P2P server software performs a check to determine if the payorhas an account with the system by searching account records, step 506.Where the check fails to uncover a payor account, step 506, the P2Pserver software executes a new account subroutine that involves thepayor answering a series of questions regarding personal information andfund source information, the fund source information used to fundtransactions executed through the P2P system, step 508.

When the new account subroutine ends, another check is performed todetermine if the subroutine exited properly and all account informationwas collected, step 510. If the check fails, a third check is performedto determine if a predetermined threshold has been passed, step 511.Where the threshold has not been exceeded, step 511, another iterationof the loop is executed, steps 508, 510, and 511. If the threshold hasbeen exceeded, step 511, the process ends and the payment request isabandoned, step 513.

Where the P2P server software determines that the payor has an accountwith the system, step 506, a check is performed to determine if thepayor has sufficient funds available in the designated funds source tofulfill the payment request, step 512. If sufficient funds areunavailable, step 512, a check is performed to determine if apredetermined threshold has been passed, step 514. Where the thresholdhas not been exceeded, the software generates a request for the payor toprovide additional funds or additional fund sources in order to fund thepayment request, step 516. The loop is reiterated until either thethreshold is exceeded, step 514, causing the routine to exit and abandonthe request, step 518, or there are sufficient funds available to coverthe payment request, step 512.

Once funds are available, the P2P server software debits the funds fromthe payor fund source, step 520. Optionally, the financial institutionin possession of the fund source may return receipt information for thedebit transaction that is transmitted to the payor via the P2P server.The payment request is transmitted across a network and received by acash payment sever, step 522.

The payment request is passed to the request translation software, whichprocesses the request via its P2P interface, step 524. The requesttranslation software translates the request from a format native to theP2P system into a format native to the ATM system, step 526. The requesttranslation software uses its ATM control interface to transmit thepayment request to an ATM control server, which is also optionallyincluded within the payment request and acted on by the interface, step528. The ATM control server receives the payment request in its nativeformat, and generates a PIN code to be used by the payee to retrieve thefunds, step 530. The PIN code is a unique numeric or alphanumericsequence that is randomly and uniquely generated using tools well knownto those skilled in the art.

Turning to FIG. 6, the detailed process flow presented in FIG. 5continues with the ATM control server and associated softwaretransmitting the payment instructions and PIN code to the ATM indicatedin the payment request, step 601. The ATM control server waits for theATM to generate a response indicating whether or not the paymentinformation was received. A check is performed to determine the resultof the transfer, step 602. A check is also preformed to determine if apredetermined threshold has been exceeded with regard to the number oftransfer attempts, step 603. Where the threshold has not been exceeded,the ATM control server retransmits the payment information, step 601,and the loop is reiterated. If the threshold is exceeded, the routineterminates and the request is abandoned, step 612.

When the ATM terminal successfully receives the data, step 602, the PINcode and ATM transmission receipt is transmitted from the ATM controlsever to the cash payment server, step 604. The request translationsoftware executing on the cash payment server receives the PIN andreceipt through the use of its ATM control interface, where it isreformatted by the request translation software into the native formatof the P2P system and transmitted to the P2P server through the use ofits P2P interface, step 606. At the P2P server, the PIN and ATM locationinformation, extracted from the received receipt, are transmitted to thepayee, step 608. Using the PIN and location information, the payeeinterfaces with the ATM terminal and supplies the valid PIN code, step610, instructing the ATM to dispense the payment amount indicated in thepayment instructions received from the ATM control sever in step 601.Once the currency has been dispensed, the routine ends, step 612.

While the invention has been described and illustrated in connectionwith preferred embodiments, many variations and modifications as will beevident to those skilled in this art may be made without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention, and the invention is thus not tobe limited to the precise details of methodology or construction setforth above as such variations and modification are intended to beincluded within the scope of the invention.

1. A system comprising: the computer network communicating with amemory; the memory communicating with a processor for executing a cashpayment via a computer network; and the processor, when executing acomputer program, performs operations comprising: debiting, by theprocessor, a financial account of a payor, wherein a payor computingdevice is associated with the payor, and wherein the payor computingdevice and a server system are in communication according to a nativeformat of the server system; selecting, by the processor, a automatedteller machine control server native format based on a data code,wherein the automated teller machine control server native formatdefines an arrangement of data to enable communications between a cashpayment server and an automated teller machine control server; andtranslating, by the processor, a payment request into the automatedteller machine control server native format, wherein the payment requestis associated with a transaction between the payor and the payee.
 2. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the cash payment server is operative totransmit the payment request to an automated teller machine controlserver associated with the automated teller machine control servernative format.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the automated tellermachine control server is operative to generate payment instructions anda personal identification code.
 4. The system of claim 3, wherein theautomated teller machine control server is operative to transmit thepayment instructions and the personal identification code to anautomated teller machine to enable the automated teller machine todispense the payment to the payee in response to receipt of the personalidentification code by the payee in satisfaction of the transaction. 5.The system of claim 1, wherein the cash payment server is operative totranslate the payment request into multiple native formats of aplurality of disparate automated teller machine control servers.
 6. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the automated teller machine control serveris operative to receive a first response generated by the automatedteller machine indicating that the automated teller machine has receivedthe payment instructions.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the cashpayment server is operative to receive a second response from theautomated teller machine control server, translate the second responseinto a native format of the server, and transmit the second response tothe server.
 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the server system isoperative to transmit a third response to at least one of the payorcomputing device and a payee computing device.
 9. The system of claim 8,wherein at least one of the first response, the second response and thethird response comprises at least one of the payment instructions and apersonal identification code.
 10. The system of claim 1, wherein theautomated teller machine dispenses an amount specified by paymentinstructions in response to a personal identification code.
 11. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the payment request is received from thepayor computing device over the computer network, the payment requestincluding the data code indicating the automated teller machine controlserver native format.
 12. The system of claim 1, wherein the serversystem is a peer-to-peer server system.
 13. A method comprising:debiting, by a computer-based system for executing a cash payment via acomputer network, a financial account of a payor, wherein a payorcomputing device is associated with the payor, and wherein the payorcomputing device and a server system are in communication according to anative format of the server system; selecting, by the computer-basedsystem, a automated teller machine control server native format based ona data code, wherein the automated teller machine control server nativeformat defines an arrangement of data to enable communications between acash payment server and an automated teller machine control server; andtranslating, by the computer-based system, a payment request into theautomated teller machine control server native format, wherein thepayment request is associated with a transaction between the payor andthe payee.
 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising transmitting,by the computer-based system, the payment request to an automated tellermachine control server associated with the automated teller machinecontrol server native format.
 15. The method of claim 13, furthercomprising sending, by the computer-based system, a payment request to acash payment server.
 16. The method of claim 13, further comprisingtranslating the payment request into multiple native formats of aplurality of disparate automated teller machine control servers.
 17. Themethod of claim 13, further comprising receiving a first responsegenerated by the automated teller machine indicating that the automatedteller machine has received payment instructions.
 18. The method ofclaim 13, further comprising: receiving a second response from theautomated teller machine control server; translating the second responseinto a native format of the peer to peer server; and transmitting thesecond response to the server.
 19. The method of claim 18, furthercomprising transmitting a third response to at least one of the payorcomputing device and a payee computing device.
 20. A tangible,non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executableinstructions stored thereon that, if executed by a computer-based systemfor executing a cash payment via a computer network, cause thecomputer-based system to perform operations comprising: debiting, by thecomputer-based system, a financial account of a payor, wherein a payorcomputing device is associated with the payor, and wherein the payorcomputing device and a server system are in communication according to anative format of the server system; selecting, by the computer-basedsystem, a automated teller machine control server native format based ona data code, wherein the automated teller machine control server nativeformat defines an arrangement of data to enable communications between acash payment server and an automated teller machine control server; andtranslating, by the computer-based system, a payment request into theautomated teller machine control server native format, wherein thepayment request is associated with a transaction between the payor andthe payee.